Masterpiece
by DiscordianSamba
Summary: A request from Setsuna gives Yuri cause to reflect on things in the past- and perhaps to move on, just a bit.


**AN** : When I set out to write this, I did have something a bit more comedic in mind, but well... it obviously didn't end up that way. A oneshot inspired by a very overdue prompt (art + Setsuna + Yuri) that I got on tumblr a long time ago, that I just finally got around to filling. I'm pretty pleased with the overall result, all things said!

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 **Masterpiece**

 **Canon** : Fresh, Heartcatch

 **Characters** : Setsuna Higashi, Yuri Tsukikage

 **Summary** : A request from Setsuna gives Yuri cause to reflect on things in the past- and perhaps to move on, just a bit.

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"I feel like I understand, but also like I don't."

Considering the serious expression on Higashi Setsuna's face as she spoke, one would get the impression that she was referring to something far more important than what she was actually speaking of. And perhaps, from her perspective, she actually was- in that sense, Tsukikage Yuri could only suppose that she was actually rather lucky.

After all, she had grown up surrounded by art her whole life, whether or not she had always paid attention to it. To think that there was a world out there where nothing without function existed... sometimes, she felt as if she still couldn't truly grasp what sort of place this Labyrinth was.

Or once _had_ been, as it were. Things had changed now, under it's new leadership, bit by bit. But it wasn't easy to undo what countless years of it's previous ruler's iron grip had done to it, not by any stretch of imagination. Though it's citizens were now able to think for themselves, and decide for themselves what they wanted for the future, many of them lacked both direction and knowledge alike, of many various things.

Including the arts.

Really, she didn't know why she was the one that Setsuna had asked, in the end. There would have been better options, really. There was of course, Mai, as well Yayoi, both of whom were artists, though of a different sort. Even Erika, with her deep passion for fashion design, would have probably been a better choice to ask than her, or perhaps Towa, for her musical knowledge.

But still, if someone who was younger than her was depending on her, she wasn't about to turn them away. It was a bit ironic, really, that in terms of Precure experience, Setsuna was actually the senpai of the two. She had been so used to looking after her other three teammates, that had she been rather surprised to learn that there were many other Precure than just Kaoruko.

"Well, it's something that's different for everyone." Yuri told her, tucking a strand of hair that had fallen out of place back behind her ear. "Art is a complex thing. It's all subjective, really."

"Subjective, huh..." Leaning back against the wall, Setsuna blew out a bit of air, akin to a sigh. "When it comes to everyone in Labyrinth, that might be a concept that's a bit hard for some of them to understand. I _do_ think art is important, though."

"That I can agree with." Yuri said, turning the page of the large art book. In reality, it belonged to her father- although he had always been a man of science, he'd always had a deep love for art as well.

To be honest, this was the first time that she had touched it, or any of his things really, since his death. Yet for some reason, when Setsuna had asked her for help, she had gone to fetch it without so much as a second thought. Still, she didn't think her father would mind- were he still here, he would probably be doing everything he could to help her just the same.

He understood what it was like, to be controlled against one's will.

"Still, thank you, Yuri-san. This will be a big help." Setsuna told her, a smile crossing her face. "Really, it's Westar who is in charge of this sort of thing, but he's been a bit busy lately, so he asked me for help."

"Is everything alright?" Yuri asked, not missing the tinge of worry to her smile. She'd heard, after all, that there were still those who weren't happy with the new way of things. There had even been an attempt to revive it's previous ruler, Moebius, once before- but thankfully, it had been thwarted before it really could have begun.

"You know that if you need our help, we'll come running, Setsuna-san." Yuri told her, a serious expression reflected in her eyes. "We're all fellow Precure, after all."

"I know." Setsuna said, nodding her head. "And it's nothing serious. He's mostly just busy with the children. He's the best out of us with them, after all."

"I see." A faint smile on her face, Yuri's gaze drifted downwards, to the art book. It had been covered in dust when she'd taken it off the shelf, so much that it had her coughing quite a bit. Before she knew it, it had been any number of years since it had last been touched.

In a way, it was kind of sad.

"Then, why don't you take this, then?" Yuri said finally, closing the book. "I think it will be of more use in your hands than in mine, Setsuna-san."

"Eh?" Blinking a little, Setsuna glanced down towards it, and then back up at Yuri again. "But it's an important memento of your father, right? Tsubomi-chan told me that he..."

"It's fine." Yuri said, picking it up. "I think father would be happier to see it be used this way, than just gathering dust."

If they had lived, the both of them, she could only wonder if he one day would have used it for _her_ sake. In a way, _she_ wasn't all that different from the children who had grown up in Labyrinth. She had come into this world to serve a purpose, and had left it before she had a chance to even see if she could grow beyond that.

And she had been the one responsible for that. She would never allow herself to forget that, even for a moment.

"...if you're really sure." With some slight hesitation still in her voice, Setsuna carefully reached out to take the book from Yuri, a bit surprised at it's weight. She was much stronger than a normal human, but somehow, it was still much heavier than she had expected.

Maybe it wasn't really it's own weight, though. The moment it left Yuri's hand, it felt lighter, somehow.

She'd never had nothing like a father, not truly. Thinking back on it now, there was some part of her that yearned to have Moebius fulfill that role, but such a thing was impossible from the very beginning. In the end, she had gained something like one- a father and a mother of her own, even a sister.

They were all wonderful treasures that Love had given her. So to think about losing one of them... she got the feeling that she could understand the weight that Yuri carried, just a bit.

"I am." Yuri said, her smile growing, just a bit. "But you'll probably need more than just that. I'll call Tsubomi and the others, and the five of us can go to the bookstore together."

There were more art books in her father's room, gathering dust. But she didn't feel like she was quite ready to part with them all just yet. It might be a bit selfish of her, but she supposed after so long, indulging herself in that selfishness just a bit wouldn't really be a bad thing.


End file.
